The Iron Pact
The Iron Pact is a custom Sponsor for Civilization Beyond Earth.On the Steam Workshop It represents Germany and the noble houses of Austria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Background End of the Old Order The collapse the European Union in the wake of the Great Mistake, was swift - but far from painless. Germany, the foremost nation of the Union, desperate to keep the fragile federation together, tried to resolve this early 21st-century crisis diplomatically and economically, by bailing out numerous bankrupt and failed states across the continent. This was to no avail, as mounting economic and political animosities tore the nations of Central Europe apart. Mistrust and rivalry were commonplace and mutinous local governments called their populations to arms. Germany was no exception. INTEGR was already gaining traction in the West, mostly in the environmentally challenged Rhineland and Lower Saxony, but some southern and eastern states withdrew from the Bundestag. Chaos and confusion ensued. Warlords of the Danube Trouble that was brewing in the aging EU erupted into violence the moment the old union disintegrated. Warring states split and fragmented into ever tinier entites, trade waned or ceased. This presented a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity for numerous military commanders, industry tycoons and demagogues to seize power "to ensure order and preserve the peace", as they would often say. Border conflicts escalated into resource wars. While INTEGR employed green technologies and emergency measures on areas under its jurisdiction, other lands - like Mecklenburg - were left behind and flooded by the rising Baltic. Waves of refugees, on occasion turned away by isolationist city-states, made their way southwards. Munich, Augsburg, Linz, Vienna, Brno, Budapest and many more cities grew into congested and dirty megacities. Yet they also became hubs of activity and industry - military needs kicked already abundant factories and research corporations into high gear. This would prove invaluable in the years to come. The Iron Pact This long-lasting turmoil in Europe, regarded as a disgrace by Franco-Iberia and ignored by many others, caught the attention of the solidifying Slavic Federation. Eager to admit new states into its fold, the Federation's diplomats reached out to the Central European leaders, offering protection and prosperity. Western Ukraine and Moldova didn't think twice; Poland joined the Federation in a matter of weeks. The Balkans, disunited, took some time to persuade, but entered preliminary talks soon enough. Other petty rulers saw that as aggressive encroachment. Not willing to submit to a powerful, but an ultimately alien political entity, ten of the most important leaders of east Germany, Czechia and Austria entered a military alliance and signed an agreement of mutual help and co-operation, which resulted in the creation of a new supra-national state on the map - dubbed the "Iron Pact", in reference to the document in question. This project was spearheaded by the energetic Chancellor-General of Franconia-Palatinate Kurt von Gotha, a self-proclaimed noble, who united most of eastern Germany under his command. The allure of a strong and fiercely independent defensive pact swayed a few neighbouring states - Hungary, Silesia and Croato-Slovenia joined swiftly. Slavic Federation relented, for now. The Seeding The Pact was scorned and rejected by most neighbours, who saw it as a rogue and warmongering state, soon to unleash its robust, now unified military, on the weary continent. This did not came to be, however, as the member states of the Pact, finding themselves in a moment of peace, sought to restore stability in the region. Its vast industrial power base supported reclamation and recolonisation efforts on the Baltic coast. German scientists developed new power generation methods. Austrian military-industrial complex excelled in ground armaments, while the Czechs provided breakthroughs in avionics. Finally, Hungarians organised sweeping environmental programs, aimed at combatting the unbearable pollution of the Danube and its river system. All this took time, and the Iron Pact was one of the very last states to take part in the Seeding, at great expense of labour and with dwindling resources. But the reinvigorated, proud and independent spirit of its many peoples would have no less. Trait Foreign Policies Leader Kurt von Gotha is the leader of the Iron Pact. Background Early History Kurt von Gotha, originally Ernst Stavro, was born in Leipzig, Saxony, to a moderately wealthy family. His youth seems to have been unremarkable; it was, however, deeply influenced by the mounting instability of post-Mistake world. Right after graduating high school, he joined the Saxon military, convinced by its incessant propaganda and fearmongering of the small country's leadership. Kurt saw action on the eastern and southern borders and was involved in several fierce skirmishes with hostile detachments. He received several mentions for bravery and survival skills. Misplaced Ambitions Kurt rose through the ranks over the next several years, ultimately reaching the rank of brigadier general. His relatively swift rise gave him the illusion of invulnerability and his frequent public appearances - the sense of popularity beyond measure. Both of those proved to be his undoing. Seeing himself as unable to fail, Kurt orchestrated and attempted to carry out a coup-d-etat and seize leadership for himself. This plan backfired, when most of his co-conspirators, jealous of Kurt's eventual position, double-crossed and captured him. In a daring escape, the details of which are unknown, Kurt escaped and succeeded in reaching neighbouring Franconia, where he was granted political asylum. More - his distinguished service in Saxony and the willingness to switch sides granted him a high place in local politics. Rise to Power It was then when Kurt von Gotha was born - a name modelled after old German nobility with the intention of adding further gravitas to his persona. This came not only due to that name itself, but mostly thanks to Kurt's relentless political and military operations. His 24-hour campaign overthrew the government of Upper Palatinate, while his propaganda agents staged a revolution in Munich. As the result, Kurt's power base grew exponentially, to the point where military actions were no longer necessary. His public relations teams restored his image in Saxony - and that state joined the expanding local alliance within weeks after revolutionary Bavaria did the same. With most of east Germany under his control, Kurt finally had the leverage to extend his influence to other states - and growing tensions with the ever-expanding Slavic Federation proved to be just the right opportunity. However, he would have never expected that his new opus magnum - the Iron Pact - would include swathes of Central Europe so soon. The Seeding Kurt was unanimously voted as the Chancellor-General of the Pact. He rose to be a respected public figure across the many nations of the new alliance, an image often enhanced and emphasised by skilfully done propaganda pieces. This, in a interesting turn of events, influenced Kurt back. Widely perceived as a paragon of European culture, he took a liking to the latter himself. While his education on the matter might be lacking, his growing interest in history and the arts makes up for it entirely. Thanks to all that, the choice of who should lead the Pact in the Seeding program was abundantly clear to everyone, from Berlin to Budapest. Intro Text The Iron Pact on Earth was, by its very nature, a loose alliance of states that shared a common interest. As such, each of the constituent countries retained broad autonomy over their internal affairs, as well as their preferred forms of local government. The ruling body of the Pact was the Council of Peers, consisting of the leaders - or their plenipotentiaries - of each member state, and presided over by an elected Chancellor. This oligarchical structure of government was carried over into humanity's new home. The Iron Pact was forged in flames. Its martial background was the source of widespread war-scare in the pacifistic Franco-Iberia and INTEGR-held portions of Germany, a fear that persisted up until the launching of the Seeding ships. In the Pact, however, it was hoped that the exodus from Earth would clear the tables and provide a blank slate for relations with other peoples. Kurt von Gotha himself expressed hope that shared European heritage would bring new colonies closer together than their homelands on Earth. Robust Central European industry played a pivotal role in making the Pact's Seeding program possible. Initially devoted purely to arms race and military build-up, it was re-focused after signing of the Iron Pact. Each nation, whilst trying to tend to their own internal problems, focused on different areas of research and production. Germans worked primarily on machinery and power supply systems, the Austrians provided luxury goods and high-tech appliances, whilst the Hungarians developed improvements in agriculture and automated environmental control systems. Loadout The mod also includes new Loadout choices. Credits * JFD - Code * Janboruta - Art, Concept, Writing References